Skaters @ Qianhai

With the Drum Tower in the background. With spring already mostly sprung here in Beijing – though not leaves are out, there’s no ice on the rivers or lakes any more – it’s hard to remember how frozen solid everything was barely a month ago, but here’s a memory of how much fun Qianhai and Houhai can be in the winter, despite the cold. Brings memories of sitting by thewood fire in my favorite cafe with some of my new friends or MSF colleaguesand watching the myriad variations on “things to move about the ice on” thatBeijing can come up with. Note how few actual skaters you see — it’s all skate-adapted chairs, bicycles, you name it.